"Bayer remain team of the moment," is the headline in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung with the following explanation: "Thanks to two goals from Kai Havertz and one from Sven Bender, the Werkself go above the rivals from the Lower Rhine and are in the top four for the first time since matchday six (…). "The victory in this direct clash was deserved because: "The Peter Bosz team were clearly better, particularly in the first half, and they took the lead after just six minutes. (…) Karim Bellarabi put the ball through to Havertz who casually nutmegged Yann Sommer."
The Tagesspiegel presents a real chorus of praise for the Werkself for the performance in the first half. "The visitors underlined (…) their current outstanding form, which caused serious problems for Gladbach," reports the newspaper. "Bayer controlled the game, had more possession and a better return in challenges. The hosts posed almost no threat in attack."
RP Online analyses the impressive performance of the Bosz team as follows: "The visitors made their mark on Borussia in the opening minutes with courageous pressing. (…) Leverkusen again and again tried to bring Havertz into play up front with quick passes," the half-time scoreline of 1-0 was, according to the report, "still the best news for Gladbach given Leverkusen's superiority."
At the same time, the reporters are unanimous that Borussia showed a clear improvement in performance after the break and that made the game more open – also because Marco Rose made a tactical change by playing with a back three. "Gladbach readjusted – and Marcus Thuram promptly struck to make it 1-1 (52')," wrote the Welt am Sonntag in summing up the action in the second half. "But Havertz hit back straightaway from a penalty, after a foul on Bellarabi in the box, to make it 2-1 (58'). Sven Bender scored from a free kick (…) for the deserved 3-1 scoreline (81')."
Kicker presents an impressive statistic on double goalscorer Havertz in their online edition: "Across all competitions, it was goal numbers 17 and 18 that the 20-year-old has been involved in in 2020 (11 goals, seven assists) – the top return in the Bundesliga."
The Werkself captain earns plaudits in the assessment of the EXPRESS. He was the only player on the pitch to earn the top mark and the newspaper describes his goal to make it 1-0 as "sleepwalking".
In the view of the WAZ, Havertz appears to be "in the form of his life at the moment" and the "guarantor for the meteoric rise of Bayer 04," that the newspaper details in numbers: "The Werkself go ahead of Gladbach into third place after 27 games, are unbeaten in twelve matches and are currently playing the best second half of the season in the club's history."
The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger also raves about this Bayer team. "Leverkusen have clearly coped outstandingly with the long enforced break. The Werkself are at a very good level tactically and physically," reports the journal. "With 25 points from ten games, Bayer 04 are continuing the best second half of the season in the club's history – a Champions League finish is the logical consequence."
The BILD also draws the logical conclusion from all the praise. Under the headline "Leverkusen continue super run" is the following impressive statement: "This Leverkusen are slowly becoming uncanny!"
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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